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Congressman Calls for Confiscation of "Assault Weapons"

In an editorial in USA Today, Rep. Eric Swalwell proposed a mandatory buyback of all “military-style semiautomatic assault weapons” without any “grandfather clause” for existing weapons or any deference to the Second Amendment — the sort of forced-confiscation plan that gun-rights advocates have warned about and gun-controllers have hotly denied they seek.

The California Democrat called reinstating the federal assault-weapons ban from the 1990s a good beginning, “but it would not affect weapons already possessed.”

“Instead, we should ban possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons, we should buy back such weapons from all who choose to abide by the law, and we should criminally prosecute any who choose to defy it by keeping their weapons,” Swalwell said.

Swallwell also downplayed the Second Amendment implications of mandatory gun confiscation, in part by saying that even late Justice Antonin Scalia in the Heller decision wrote that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited.

But he also implied that it wouldn’t matter anyway because gun control saves lives, which matters more than individual rights, the Washington Times reports.

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Comments (23)

Displaying 1 - 23 of 23

Roger Tighe @ 5/4/2018 2:34 PM

Wow, fascist much?

BJ @ 5/4/2018 3:26 PM

It is this thinking from Swalwell that is the exact reason that the writers of the Constitution included the Second Amendment. None of the Amendments in the Bill of Rights grants rights to the people. The amendments are there to tell the Government that it CAN NOT infringe on the Rights of the People.

Joseph Schweigert @ 5/4/2018 3:33 PM

Surprise, surprise!! A Democrat from California "suggests" we violate the 2nd Amendment so he can build his snowflake voter base. Perhaps he should study the output of the FBI report concerning the effectiveness of the the federal assault-weapons ban from the 1990s and it's impact (or lack thereof) on crime. But, hey - who ever accused a Democrat from California of showing any concern for fact based research?

Molon Labe @ 5/4/2018 3:44 PM

You sound like another person from history who stated individual freedoms and rights were supplanted by the will of the state:

“If the opposition disarms, well and good. If it refuses to disarm, we shall disarm it ourselves.” — Joseph Stalin

LegAdv @ 5/4/2018 4:59 PM

I've got a headline for you, Rep. Swalwell. It's not going to happen.

Sam Stuart Snyder PhD MPH @ 5/4/2018 5:06 PM

typical no-nothing Leftist California political hack. I have seen him on Tucker Carlson, and he is an embarrassment to the Human Race!

UncleMike @ 5/4/2018 5:09 PM

We'd be far better off if we'd send every feckless turd like him to N. Korea where his pipe dream of an unarmed Citizenry is already in place.Disarming America will not be a pleasant thing to try and will likely end badly for people of his ilk.

LegAdv @ 5/4/2018 5:14 PM

Perhaps we should just ignore the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, as well Rep. Swalwell. After all, finding evidence of a crime at all costs might also save lives and that's certainly more important than individual rights, correct? And don't you think ignoring the Fifth Amendment protection against double jeopardy might also save lives, if the government had another chance to prosecute a particular defendant, whose trial jury simply 'got it wrong'?

joe @ 5/4/2018 6:45 PM

Rep. Swalwell, since your state is defying the federal law and harboring federal fugitives and hindering the federal agents sent to arrest them, I think you should resign from office and keep your opinions to yourself. since the guns used to defend this country in the beginning were their military weapons, and the founding fathers wrote this into the amendments. maybe your should be prosecuted for trying to strip my rights to own and bear arms to protect this country from all enemies foreign and domestic. start to hold those who do the killing accountable for their actions, not the law abiding public. stop giving away free items to those who wish to do nothing.

Jim Barrett @ 5/4/2018 7:14 PM

The next time some lefty tells you they're not trying to take guns away show them this article from a poster boy of gun control. Hurry and secede California! Won't miss you

John retired IA PD @ 5/4/2018 7:53 PM

I'll bet that the ATF / Chicago PD task force would love to use his expertise to get the guns from the criminals in Back of the Yards. He could show them how easy it is.

Mikey @ 5/5/2018 3:04 AM

The only thing that would be funnier than him try to explain how 5 million military, federal/state/local leo's would round up 100 million gun owners' weapons would be him trying to explain how long he'd live if said 100 million gun owners decided to that the french revolution had some very good ideas as to dispatching politicians.

Jon Retired LEO @ 5/5/2018 1:40 PM

Lets let this California idiot try to disarm all the criminals and the MS-13 gang members and see how that works out for him. Another liberal with a mouth like Sharpton, in fact he is probably working with Sharpton and the rest of that poisonous clan.

Jim Carpenter @ 5/6/2018 12:56 AM

The 1st Amendment has already been infringed. We can’t practice our faith in govt. areas, as officers. Cannot practice our faith in our businesses, and can loose our businesses in court if we do. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The free practice there of. Maybe we should change the media’s ability to tell the country how to think?

ssc1911 @ 5/6/2018 5:06 AM

This idiot should be recalled and charged with treason for saying this. he should be preperaed for the consequences on both sides should confiscation actually occur, God Forbid. He aalso needs to be investigated. He states that gun control svaes lives and that is more important than individual rights, he doesn'tr care about rights that don't pertain to him or his ilk. Taking one's property without cause is against the law, also denying due process to those who refuses to comply with this. This guy is crazy,like the rest of the anti gun politicians and groups they are SUBVERSIVES. If politicians like Swalwell want so called assault weapons confiscated then he and other politicians should do it themsleves, no cops or military. Anti gun pols and groups are pushing the envelope to far since the Parkland, FL. shooting on Feb.14,2018. Flood his office with letters and phone calls in opposition this proposal.

EODK9Trainer @ 5/6/2018 7:02 AM

Yeah. We all know the criminals will certainly take advantage of the buy back program.

Sharen Hardy @ 5/6/2018 11:43 AM

I think the federal government needs to pass a new law, that if the people in office don't want to obey the Constitution of the United States of America, and the Bill of Rights given to the people... That they be taken out of office, by force if need be. We have a constitution, we have a Bill of Rights. If elected officials don't want to go by our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, then they should be taken out of office. After all it wasn't set up for them to have their own personal little dictatorship.

David McConnaughey @ 5/7/2018 4:13 AM

Should he ever get his way, and it goes horribly wrong, and it will, resulting in civil war, it will be treasonous scum like him who will be rounded up for war crimes, IF they make it to a trial. It is Swalwell who belongs in prison for publicly threatening the American people with prison! I will NOT be used to violate my fellow citizens rights. I'll park the patrol car with the city's property in it first and tell them to come get it! I'm an AMERICAN FIRST! GFY Swalwell, you little sawed off power mad bastard.

Grey Bear @ 5/8/2018 11:52 AM

Wow, this guy is dangerously stupid! Gotta wonder where he got that load of Socialist dictatorial crap that he's spewing? But then I realized he's from Klownifornia, and suddenly it kinda makes sense...I hope for his sake he stays there, I doubt he'd be very welcomed anywhere other than fantasyland.

Michael @ 5/12/2018 8:47 AM

Eric, please take a class about the Constitution of the United States. It appears obvious that you don't represent the people nor do you understand the oath you took prior to becoming a seated representative of the people. Should you be unwilling to follow the prescribed procedures above, then it becomes necessary for you to step down from your office for failure to obey your oath of office. Thank you for your compliance in this matter and have a blessed day (you need it)

anonymous @ 5/12/2018 8:55 AM

It is very unfortunate that if the progressive Dems ever take control of both chambers of Congress and the White House...it will be law enforcement officers who will be alienated from lawful gun owners...who comprise one of the most law-abiding, pro-police categories of individuals there is. It is as if I am in a bizarro world where people are allowed to sell hundreds of pounds of marijuana a week without repercussions in states that have "legalized" the drug...contrary to Federal Law, where marijuana is still a Schedule I drug...where local law enforcement officers are prohibited from assisting federal immigration officers in the performance of their duties...and where persons who own guns who have never committed any crime are viewed as threats that need to be stripped of their guns or placed in prison, or both. The Democrat Party of today is unlike the Democrat Party of any prior period in U.S. history. It has become dangerous.

TBOW426 @ 5/24/2018 7:00 AM

If you take a good look at this idiot it appears he has already suffered brain damage. Eric, feel free to "suit up" and try to enforce your so called agenda.

Tom Ret @ 5/24/2018 8:35 AM

I call for all idiot liberals like this guy to shut up. If they don't want to recognize the constitution and 2nd amendment they should leave the country for some socialist utopia. If these liberals get in power they don't realize the firestorm they will create if they try to enact what he is suggesting. Only in California the liberals think they should put warnings on coffee but think smoking weed is just great.

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